And von Freydorf added: “In the past, I always recorded mixtapes for long car trips. I like a colourful mix of all conceivable styles and artists.

“It was this variety that we wanted to showcase on this album. It was about translating other artists’ musical language into our own. The biggest challenge was creating something unique without losing the original song’s special character.

“It was an extremely instructive experience. Although it was hard work, we got a kick out of doing this. We figured out a lot about other artists’ songwriting and tried many things we’ve never done before.”

Mixtape’s first single was a tribute to the RnB superstars Destiny’s Child and their cover of 2001’s Survivor.

“The lyrics are about always trying to cut one´s own path and never surrender,” added von Freydorf. “To my mind the statement fits perfectly with us as a band that survived almost 25 years in the rough shark pool called music business.

“We are incredibly grateful that our fans have been loyal to us for such a long time. With Mixtape we´re laying on another unexpected soundtrack for our common journey and inviting everyone to join us again.”

Simon's love affair with guitar bands began the day he saw Def Leppard performing Animal for the first time. The founder of Rushonrock has contributed to Classic Rock Magazine, Classic Rock Blues, Classic Rock AOR, HRH Mag and Country Music Magazine and is a familiar face on the North East's rock and metal scene.